Bead - 113 handmade Chevron/Rosetta glass beads.
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113 hand-made glass Chevron/Rosetta beads, produced in India for the African market, dating to 1960–1970, weighing 248 g with bead sizes from 10×10×10 mm to 20×15×15 mm, in very good condition.
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Description from the seller
One of the most typical and appreciated Venetian pearls is the rosetta, known worldwide as the chevron.
Legend has it that it was created by Maria Barovier, belonging to a famous Murano glassmaker family.
It is a pearl obtained from cylinders derived from a special pierced cane, which are ground at the ends, thus highlighting the internal “star” design of the cane.
This is composed of successive layers of different colors, the number of layers ranging from 4 to 9.
All the layers, except the last, have a star design, which is obtained by pressing each layer, once it is taken from the crucible, into a specialized mold.
It is an expensive pearl due to the complexity of the processing stages, and for this reason it has become a symbol of prestige and power among many peoples.
In several regions of tropical and equatorial Africa, for example, the use of the rosetta was reserved exclusively for chiefs and dignitaries of the highest rank.
Rosetta was often attributed with special powers.
In some regions of Ghana, for instance, when a woman realized she was pregnant she would place a rosetta in a glass full of water that she would drink only after giving birth.
The pearl was supposed to transmit special qualities to the water that would help the woman regain strength after delivery and better care for the newborn.
Broken pearls were reused.
Sometimes those particularly precious, such as the rosetta, were deliberately broken by a parent to leave each child a fragment of the pearl that would not lose its importance and symbolic value.
But even pearls that broke accidentally were not discarded: a typical use was to remelt them together to create new ones.
In the past, the Venetian pearl supplanted the Middle Eastern pearls that for centuries had reached African countries carried by caravans across the Sahara.
After the former European colonies gained autonomy, the flow of pearls from Venice ceased; however, demand for similarly designed pearls continued, prompting production elsewhere, such as in India or locally.
From the 1960s onward, the glass industry in India, reborn after independence from Britain, began producing pearls very similar to the traditional Venetian ones. Today, unfortunately, even Indian pearls are becoming increasingly rare as they are supplanted by plastic ones.
Material: Glass
Piece count: 113 beads
Origin: Made in India for the African market
Weight: 248 grams
Pearl dimensions: from 10x10x10 mm to 20x15x15 mm (approximately) - (See photo for a more precise idea)
Era: 1960s/1970s
Condition: Very good (as in the photos). The photos are part of the description.
Pearls entirely handmade, Venetian style
Note:
Symbolism of African cultures, associated with the colors of the pearls:
Blue - Healing, harmony, intuition, truth
Brown - Earth, stability
Green - Prosperity, fertility, abundance, hope, healing
Violet - Spirituality, wisdom, royalty
Red - Vitality, passion, courage, security
White - Light, truth, purity
Black - Protection against evil or bad luck
Yellow - Wisdom, clarity, awareness, energy, joy
Pink - Love, compassion, healing
Light blue - Good fortune, prosperity, wealth
Grey - Peace, wisdom, truth, intuition
Orange - Good fortune, prosperity, wealth and health
Careful packaging, shipment via certified mail with tracking number.
One of the most typical and appreciated Venetian pearls is the rosetta, known worldwide as the chevron.
Legend has it that it was created by Maria Barovier, belonging to a famous Murano glassmaker family.
It is a pearl obtained from cylinders derived from a special pierced cane, which are ground at the ends, thus highlighting the internal “star” design of the cane.
This is composed of successive layers of different colors, the number of layers ranging from 4 to 9.
All the layers, except the last, have a star design, which is obtained by pressing each layer, once it is taken from the crucible, into a specialized mold.
It is an expensive pearl due to the complexity of the processing stages, and for this reason it has become a symbol of prestige and power among many peoples.
In several regions of tropical and equatorial Africa, for example, the use of the rosetta was reserved exclusively for chiefs and dignitaries of the highest rank.
Rosetta was often attributed with special powers.
In some regions of Ghana, for instance, when a woman realized she was pregnant she would place a rosetta in a glass full of water that she would drink only after giving birth.
The pearl was supposed to transmit special qualities to the water that would help the woman regain strength after delivery and better care for the newborn.
Broken pearls were reused.
Sometimes those particularly precious, such as the rosetta, were deliberately broken by a parent to leave each child a fragment of the pearl that would not lose its importance and symbolic value.
But even pearls that broke accidentally were not discarded: a typical use was to remelt them together to create new ones.
In the past, the Venetian pearl supplanted the Middle Eastern pearls that for centuries had reached African countries carried by caravans across the Sahara.
After the former European colonies gained autonomy, the flow of pearls from Venice ceased; however, demand for similarly designed pearls continued, prompting production elsewhere, such as in India or locally.
From the 1960s onward, the glass industry in India, reborn after independence from Britain, began producing pearls very similar to the traditional Venetian ones. Today, unfortunately, even Indian pearls are becoming increasingly rare as they are supplanted by plastic ones.
Material: Glass
Piece count: 113 beads
Origin: Made in India for the African market
Weight: 248 grams
Pearl dimensions: from 10x10x10 mm to 20x15x15 mm (approximately) - (See photo for a more precise idea)
Era: 1960s/1970s
Condition: Very good (as in the photos). The photos are part of the description.
Pearls entirely handmade, Venetian style
Note:
Symbolism of African cultures, associated with the colors of the pearls:
Blue - Healing, harmony, intuition, truth
Brown - Earth, stability
Green - Prosperity, fertility, abundance, hope, healing
Violet - Spirituality, wisdom, royalty
Red - Vitality, passion, courage, security
White - Light, truth, purity
Black - Protection against evil or bad luck
Yellow - Wisdom, clarity, awareness, energy, joy
Pink - Love, compassion, healing
Light blue - Good fortune, prosperity, wealth
Grey - Peace, wisdom, truth, intuition
Orange - Good fortune, prosperity, wealth and health
Careful packaging, shipment via certified mail with tracking number.
Details
Era
1900-2000
Weight
248 g
Model
113 handmade Chevron/Rosetta glass beads.
Material
Glass
Condition
Excellent condition: barely used with minimal signs of wear
Height
20 mm
Width
12 mm
Depth
12 mm
Estimated period
1960-1970
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